Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-04-01
FOR 100000.
Big Ore Deal 10 be Consummated
To-Day.

PITTsBURG CAPITALISTS TO PUR
CHASE A VIRGINIA PLANT AND
THE SECOND AMERICAN FERRO-
MANGANESE FURNACE TO BE
PUT IN OPERATION.
/ From the Pittsburg Commercial Gazette,
March 2il
A big deal is to be consummated
today. One hundred thousand
dollars is the amount Of money to
be placed in the transaction by
Pittsburg capitalists. BY it they
will gam a large interest in what
is known as the Van Buren furnace
property, situated nine miles from
Woodstock, Va, and the second
ferro manganese furnace in the
country will be started. On
the property is 1000 acres of man
gaueseore land, large tract of iron
ore and a furnace which has an out
put CT seventy tons per week of
cold-Dlast iron.
The deal has largely been en-.
g.neered by Mr.. George w. Bryan,
Superintendent of the steel.mill Of
Oliver Bros. x Philips. Mr.. Bryan
is a Virglnian himself and knew
the property before the war. lie
has been looking it up lately, and
was able to interest the present
owner, Dr. Frank King, in a plan
by which the property could be
brought on the market. lie paid
a couple of visits to DR.. King and
succeeded in bringing HIM to the
city. DR.. King has made his head
quarters at the Monongahela House
for the past few days, and in that
time has met the leading manulac-
turers of the city.
SECOND MANGANESE FURNACE.
4 test Of the ore on his property
shows the presence Of about 7G per
cent. of manganese. The iron ore
is about 40 per cent. pure. DIR.
King is a Massachusetts, man and
purchased the tract twcnty-One
years ago. He bought it under
the impression that the Washing
ton Il Ohio railroad was TO he built
along the southern portion of the
tract. The line was never built
and the property was left nine
miles from a railroad. But he is
not discouraged and big railroad
scheme is back of the deal to be
completed today.
In q conversation with a repre-
sentative of this paper last night
at the Monongahela House DIR.
King said 1.-THE contract is ready
for the signatures. | have spent
over 100000 in improving the
property, and ! am sure the gentle
men Of this city who are going to
take an interest in the tract will
not regret it. | have never paid
much attention to the manganese
ore, and for the present should
have let it rest had it not been for
Mr.. Bryan. We can mine the ore
very cheaply, and the intention of
the company is to turn our furnace
into ferrO. manganese plant
When we have the hot.blast stoves
put in we will be the second ferrO.
manganese factory in the country
Putting in the hot blast will in
crease our output about as much
again.
"a reconnaissance Of a proposed
new road has been made to run
through this tract. 1t is to start
from Strasburg, an d, passing
through Brooks Gap, cross the
Southern tier of counties in West
Virginia and tap Gallipolis, o. 1t
will there connect with the Wash
iugtOn & Ohio, which will be eX.
tended some OF these days to Kansas
City. It is moro than likely that
the Richmond Terminal people may
help us out. ] shall leave here to-
morrow for Washington, and will
there meet some gentlemen who
are interested in the new scheme.
Our nearest way to Plttsburg would
be through Strasburg and by the
i. & O. We will be making ferro-
manganese, though, before the road
is built. The necessary changes
will be made at once and by the
1st OF September will be in opera
ton"
The Doctor then digressed from
ore interests to politics. "Virginia
is now a Republican State he
said. I'VE carried the State in
Congressional districts in the last
election by 81 1000 majority. Down
IN nv section the Valley Protec.
tive League has been organized in
twenty.eight counties. We are
getting protective documents into
the hands of those VirglnlanS
whether they will or not In 1883
we can carry the State for any Re.
publican against Cleveland. The
boom in Virginia is solid one,
both politically and materially"